Air or gas lift for fluids



Dec. 24, 1929. L.. B. CLIFFORD- 1340,807

y AIR OR GAS LIFT FOR FLUIDS Fiied May 15, ,1927

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abbina Patented Dec. 24,1929

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR OR GAS LIFT FOR FLUIDS Application led May 13, 1927. Serial No. 191,113.

' This invention relates to improvements in air or gas lifts for fiuid pumps. The primary object of the invention is to provide an air gas lift that may be produced at commercially practical costs and which will operate with a high degree of efficiency.

More specifically the present invention seeks to provide an air or gas lift for fluids wherein there will be a complete and uniform aeration of the liquid, thereby increasing the efficiency of the lift.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will hereinafter be y more fully described and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the lower portion of a well casing with the present li-ft installed therein;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the air or gas nozzle of the ejector; and

of Fig. 2. l

Air lifts are rather extensively used for raising water andoil from deep wells and in the present instance there is illustrated a 3o portion of well casing C which extends. up-

wardly to the surface of the ground. The fluid in well casing C enters the lower end 10 ofan eduction pipe 10 and in accordance with the preseninvetion said pipe is formed withl aiiiestricted portion 11 so that the upper portion 12 of said pipe, which extends to the ground surface, is considerably smaller than the lower or inlet end 10a.l In this way, the lower portion 10a constitutes an -enlarged liquid chamber.

Extending down the exterior of the eduction pipebut within the casing is a suitable air or gas line 13 connected at its lower end to a fitting 14 in the eduction pipe at a point below the tapered portion 11. On the interior of pipe 10, fitting 14 is connected by pipe 16 to an air or gas nozzle 15. Nozzle 15 has an enlarged air chamber 17 therein from which air or gas is discharged through ducts 18 to the interior of the eduction. pipe.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 'of the eduction pipe.

To secure a complete and uniform aeration c of liquid passing nozzle 15,the liquid is caused to flow in film like formation as it passesthe discharge ducts 18 and the latter are so arranged that the air issues therefrom in a path at an angle to said fluid film whereby the air will effectively penetrate said film and become thoroughly commingled with the liquid.

Various means might be employed to effect a sheeting or filming of the liquid but this is preferably accomplished by tapering the casing to form the restricted portion 11 before mentioned and by having the nozzle 15 so located with respect to said tapered por- 65 tion that a narrow throat 19 is formed through which liquid rising to the ground surface must pass. Preferably the upper end of nozzle 15 is in substantial transverse alinement with the smaller or upper extremity of tapered section 11 and the discharge ducts 18 of said nozzle discharge the air or gas at this point where the liquid passes this most restricted portion of throat 19.

The preferred formation of ducts 18 con- 75 sists in providing a circular bafiie 2O at the upper end of nozzle -l-which is cylindrical, said baffle being spaced from the wall of the nozzle by small lugs or webs 21. With this n construction, a substantially continuous, un- S0 broken circular air or gas spray is emitted from the nozzle and by having the end of the nozzle and the periphery of the baffle beveled, as at 22, the air or gas will be discharged at an arlgle to the plane of the film or sheet S5 of fluid moving along the tapered surface 1l Such an arrangement will be found exceedingly efiicient in operation, giving a large and continuous flow of fluid with the use of a minimum quantity of 9o air. This is believed to be due to the complete and uniform aeration of the fiuid which is obtained by having the tapered portion of the eduction pipe direct the sheet or film of fluid toward the nozzle while the discharge 05 ducts of the latter are'so constructed as to direct the air or gas at an angle to said sheet or film of fluid at a point where said sheet or film is of minimum thickness.

It will be understood that the upper end of supply pipe 13 communicates with suitable means for supplying nozzle 15 With the aerating medium under proper pressure. If desired, said supply pipe 13 can be attached 5 in any suitable Way to the eduction pipe in order to aid in supporting it in the Well. While the construct-ion illustrated is the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will beappreciated that various details ofthe present arrangement may be altered Without departing from the spirit of the invention so that such details are to be considered as limitations only as expressly delined in the Y following claims.

What l claim is:

1. ln an air or gas lift for fluids, the cornbination'of an eduction pipe tapered intermediate its ends to form an enlarged inlet end and an outlet end of reduced cross section, and an air or gas nozzlewithin said pipe, said nozzle, having discharge ducts positioned in substantial transverse alinement with the smaller end of the tapered portion of said pipe, said discharge ducts being disposed radially outward at an angle to the Wall of said tapered portion.

2. In an air or gas lift for fluids, the combination of an eduction pipe tapered intermediate its,.ends to form an enlarged inlet end and an outlet end of reduced cross sec- 5tion, a tubular nozzle Within said pipe having its discharge end positioned in transverse alinement with the reduced end of the tapered portion of said pipe, and a ba'le in the discharge end of said nozzle whereby currents of air or gas issuing from said nozzle are directed transversely of the pipe and avthorough commingling of the fluids and air or gas obtained.

40 x LESLIE B. CLIFFORD 

